Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a diagnosis support system and, more particularly, to a diagnosis support system which provides information for supporting medical diagnosis.
Description of the Related Art
In the medical field, doctors perform image diagnosis in which diagnosis is performed by interpreting the medical images obtained by imaging apparatuses such as an X-ray CT apparatus and an MRI. When, for example, performing image diagnosis, a doctor identifies the symptom of a lesion depicted in an image by comprehensively determining the findings (to be referred to as “image findings” hereinafter) obtained from images and various types of measurement values in accordance with a radiogram interpretation request from a primary doctor. The doctor then compiles the process of reaching the image diagnosis into a radiogram interpretation report to the primary doctor as the request source by using image findings and measurement values.
For the purpose of reducing the load of radiogram interpretation on a doctor, there has been developed a medical diagnosis support apparatus (to be referred to as a “decision support apparatus” hereinafter) which supports diagnosis by detecting an abnormal shadow or the like in a medical image and inferring the state of the shadow by computer processing. In general, when using such a decision support apparatus, first of all, the doctor performs radiogram interpretation. The doctor then refers to the supporting information provided by the decision support apparatus and compares it with the result of the radiogram interpretation made by himself/herself, thereby making final determination. In order to rely on the supporting information presented by the decision support apparatus, it is preferable that the doctor knows the specific ground on which this supporting information is derived. That is, the decision support apparatus preferably presents the ground of an inference concerning supporting information to be presented.
Under the circumstances, a decision support apparatus for presenting such grounds of inferences has been developed. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-200840 proposed by the present applicants discloses a technique of presenting denial information and affirmative information as support information with respect to the inference result obtained by an apparatus based on already input information such as image findings. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-200840 discloses a technique of presenting denial information and affirmative information concerning each possible diagnosis as supporting information. This allows the decision support apparatus to present an inference result, and can present, as supporting information, information influencing the derivation of the inference result from the apparatus based on information such as image findings.
When performing radiogram interpretation, doctors tend to use, as key information, information affirming an estimated diagnosis when he/she is confident of the estimated diagnosis, and information denying other diagnoses when he/she is not confident of the estimated diagnosis. However, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-200840 has a problem that such information cannot be sometimes presented as supporting information.